Alpuente between castles, dinosaurs and hiking trails

Alpuente’s medieval street plan and its oldest architectural monuments are designated as a Conjunto Histórico-Artístico. The Castillo y Murallas de Alpuente forms a historic fortification complex and is designated as a Bien de Interés Cultural.

Culture and history

The Acueducto de los Arcos is a Gothic aqueduct from the 14th century with 13 arches and can be visited free of charge at any time. The Museo Etnológico de Alpuente is housed in a former public oven dating from the 14th century, which remained in operation until the first third of the 20th century. The museum’s permanent exhibition focuses on the communal management of the territory and the grain cycle.

The Torre Alhama preserves traces of its original function as a gate tower in the Andalusian wall that enclosed the former medina of Alpuente. Visitors can currently see the Salones de Cortes, the council chamber, the plenary hall, the prison rooms and the dungeon; these are complemented by ceilings with 14th-century stucco work. The Iglesia Parroquial de Nuestra Señora de la Piedad houses religious works of art such as sculptures, paintings and altarpieces.

Experiences

The Castillo de Alpuente features an illustrated tour, offers views of the Hoz del Reguero and can be visited free of charge at any time. The Museo Paleontológico de Alpuente displays dinosaur bones recovered during palaeontological excavations, including fossils of sauropods, theropods, stegosaurs and ornithopods.

The dinosaur site at Corcolilla is designated as a Bien de Interés Cultural and is equipped for visits with walkways, a large car park and explanatory panels. The dinosaur site at Cañada París features sauropod footprints, is easily accessible by car and has explanatory information. The experience “Dinosaurios en el reino del silencio” includes a guided tour of the Museo Paleontológico, a visit to the Aula de Recuperación Paleontológica and an educational workshop.

The Ruta de la Taifa de Alpuente is a guided tour of the historic centre with visits to the Torre Alhama, the former council chambers, the Salón de Cortes, the Museo Etnológico and the Museo Paleontológico.

Nature and trails

The viewpoint described offers a panorama of Alpuente, the rear of the castle, the La Hoz gorge and the prominent rocky escarpment stretching from the mountain down to the Reguero in the area of the La Bomba waterfall.

The approved hiking trail described is more than 11 kilometres long and passes through the juniper woodland found in Alpuente, cereal-growing landscapes and the area’s traditional architecture. Another hiking trail starts in Alpuente and offers views of the Reguero Valley as well as seasonal waterfalls and pools; eagles and vultures are also frequently seen there.

One route passes through several villages and landscapes of Alpuente, goes by the medieval Acueducto de los Arcos and crosses the Reguero gorge at La Bomba as well as the Sabinar with its centuries-old junipers. The Ruta de las Aldeas is a 45-kilometre route that can be completed in several stages by mountain bike or on foot and leads through inhabited and abandoned settlements of Alpuente.

Further destinations

Other places you can access from this page include Calles, Picassent, Carlet, Estivella, València, Benifairó De La Valldigna, Alboraya and Genovés.

To the overarching travel overview: Valencia.